William porter down e



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

VVILLIAM PORTER DOVNE OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

REFlNiNG PETROLEUM AND OTHER OILS `-pacification forming part of Lcilcrs Patent No. 44,519, dated October 4, 1864.

To aZZ whom it may condensa:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PORTER Dow- NER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Method of' Refining Petroleum and other Ole- :fxginous Products; and I do hereby declare that the following is* a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

The nature of. my invention consists in' providing an oviform cylindrical rotating washer of any workable capacity, of metal or of' any other suitable material or combination of' materials, with bearings arranged longitudinally with the center of said vessel. Internally this vessel is provided with three or more inclined vanes (of metal or other suitable material) which are riveted or otherminev securely fastcned to the inner case. -Extcrnally the said vessel is provided with two stop-cocks-oue for the introduction and discharge of the petroleuni or other substance to be refined, and the other for the escape and ingress of air-and also with a man-hole for the purpose of' inspecting, cleaning, or repairing the said washer. I

In order that my im cntion may be better understood, and that others may be enabled to make and 'use the same, I will proceed to explain its construction and operation.

The two figures in the accompanying drawings represent longitudinal and cross sections of my invention.

a a is the cylindrical vessel. b b are the tru n'- nions it revolves upon; s s, the framing in which such truunions run; d d d, the inclined vanes; e, the lunnelAcock` for introducing and discharging the substance to be refined; f, the air-cock for discharging and introducing the air, and y the man-hole forinspecting, cleansing, or repairing the interior.

The operation of my invention is eifectcd in the following manner: The vessel a is rotated until the funnel-cock c presents itself uppermost, theair-cock being then opened and the man-hole closed. rI`he substance to be refined is introduced to about the level indicated in the drawings, and immediately afterward a invention: first, raising the whole of the acid :from the bottom ofthe vessel, to which its sudue proportion of sulph uric acid, (such amount as is always understood to be sufficient by persons skilled in the art of refiningoils.) I then close both cocks and rotate the washer, either .by hand or other motive power, until the process of rening iscomplete. I-then turn the said washer into position with the funnel-cock e level with the'liquidwithin, then open both cocks, and rotate the vessel slowly in a direction opposite to the course of the arrow, keep.-

V'Vhen s artificial heat is required to activate the retining process, I make' the trunnions'bb hol.h low, and connect them through the washer by means of a metallic pipe, into which I iut-roduce steam.

Three important results are obtained by my perior gravity had carried it, and pouring it on the surface of the oil, which is effected by the rotation of each vane; secondly, the-agi'- g tation of' oil and sulphur-ie acid produced by the escape of air in said liquids, which air is brought in considerable quantity below the surface by the ret-urn of the empty vanes; thirdly, by the internal surface of the vessel being alternately washed by the oil and the acid.

y What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is-

l. The use of a rotary hermeti'cally-closed vessel for mixing petroleum and other oils with acids. 2. The use of vanes so placed inside of said vessel, in manner as shown, that by their rotationv they firstelevate the heavierliquid from the bottoni to the top of'the lighter liquid, and then,when empty, by continuing their rotation, carry with them below the surface of such liqnidsabody of air which, by escaping, maintains the desired agitation. v f

VILLIAM PORTER DOWNER.

\Vitnesses:

WM. H. MCGEE, W. E. SLooUn. 

